Abstract Truth - Totum

Abstract Truth - Silver Trees & Totum

Abstract Truth were a band just crying out to be the first entry in an encyclopaedia of South African rock music and, if it hadn’t been for Kevin Abraham would have made it as the opening act of the Chilvers / Jasiukowicz ‘History Of Contemporary Music Of South Africa.’  Despite this minor set back, and the fact that the group only lasted a little under two years, they did leave a legacy of gems, one of which is the cover of Bob Dylan’s ‘Oxford Town.’

The song was written in response to Broadside’s magazine request for songs about a black student being enrolled in the University of Mississippi, a subject that would have been controversial in the States back in 1962 when it was written and would have been just as controversial in 1970 in South Africa when Abstract Truth did their version. Lyrics like ‘he comes to the door, he couldn’t get in, all because of the color of his skin’ would not have made this a censor friendly ditty, so no radio play then, I guess. Despite this, the album from which it was take (Totum) became one of those internationally sought after rarities, joining the likes of Freedom’s Children, Hawk and McCully Workshop.

Given that this is a cover version, one is obliged to make comparisons to the original and I am going to stick my neck out and say that Abstract Truth’s version is better than Dylan’s. I know that to some people this may be regarded as blasphemy, but there, I said it. I think the reason I regard Abstract Truth’s version as being better than Dylan’s is that Dylan was still learning his trade and forging new directions in music at the time his folky acoustic version was recorded while Abstract Truth had the benefit of a decade that saw rock music develop in leaps and bounds. They took Dylan’s simple arrangement, added some drums and a flute and moved the song from the heart to the head.

Where to find it:

Silver Trees / Totum – Abstract Truth (2005), Fresh, freshcd146

Lyrics:

Oxford Town, Oxford Town
Ev’rybody’s got their hats bowed down
The sun don’t shine above the ground
Ain’t a-goin’ down to Oxford Town.

He went down to Oxford Town
Guns and clubs followed him down
All because his face was brown
Better get away from Oxford Town.

Oxford Town around the bend
He comes to the door, he couldn’t get in
All because of the color of his skin
What do you think about that, my frien’ ?

Me and my gal, my gal’s son
We got met with a tear gas bomb
I don’t even know why we come
Goin’ back where we come from.

Oxford Town in the afternoon
Ev’rybody singin’ a sorrowful tune
Two men died ‘neath the Mississippi moon
Somebody better investigate soon.

(Written by Bob Dylan)

Video:

Family Tree:

Abstract Truth Musical Family Tree

Cape Carnival by Central Malay Choir

Woo-hoo, two for the price of one here, which means I will be able to squeeze an extra song into the list at the end – sneaky, I know. However, the sheer joie de vivre that the music of the Kaapse Klopse generates is enough to make you overlook infringements such as this and to go out and dance in the streets.

Nuwejaar and Daar Kom Die Alibama are probably the 2 most well known of songs of this genre and have been performed by countless artists over time. Nuwejaar (New Year for the non South Africans amongst you) is a celebration of, well, New Year, while Daar Kom Die Alibama is a song about the CSS Alabama, a Confederate ship during the American Civil war that made a stop in Cape Town in 1863 for repairs, and during its short stay there, made such an impression on the local population that the song was born, although I have been unable to find who actually penned this song.

The songs have also endeared themselves in the Boeremusiek arena and versions exist with the tune being carried by the accordion, but, if you want to stay true to the roots of the songs there is nothing quite like the banjo-powered versions and to my mind the Central Malay Choir’s version which appears on the compilation CD South African Souvenirs is as good a version as you could hope hear.

Where to find it:

South African Souvenirs – Various Artists (1993), Teal Records, TELCD 2346

Sound Offerings From South Africa, Vol 3 (Daar Kom Die Alibama) – Various Artists, Gallo, CDREDD662

Cape Carnival (Nuwejaar) – Central Malay Choir, Chrysalis, CDCARD6

Lyrics to Daar Kom Die Alibama:

AFRIKAANS

Daar kom die Alibama,
Die Alibama kom oor die see
Daar kom die Alibama,
Die Alibama kom oor die see.

Nooi Nooi die rietkooi nooi,
Die rietkooi is gemaak
Die rietkooi is vir my gemaak,
Om daar op te slap
Nooi Nooi die rietkooi nooi,
Die rietkooi is gemaak
Die rietkooi is vir my gemaak,
Om daar op te slap

O Alibama, die Alibama,
O Alibama kom oor die see
A Alibama, die Alibama,
O Alibama kom oor die see

ENGLISH

There comes the Alabama,
The Alabama comes over the sea,
There comes the Alabama,
The Alabama comes over the sea.

Girl, girl, the reed bed is made,
The reed bed is made,
The reed bed is made
For me to sleep on.
Girl, girl, the reed bed is made,
The reed bed is made,
The reed bed is made
For me to sleep on.

Oh, Alabama, the Alabama,
Oh, Alabama come over the sea,
Oh, Alabama, the Alabama,
Oh Alabama come over the sea.

Videos:

Daar Kom Die Alibama by The Goema Captains:

Nuwejaar by Drakensberg Boys Choir:

More info about the CSS Alabama

Beautiful Mornings EP – Black Hotels (2007)

Bouncy, jaunty, catchy, toe-tapping. These are just some of the adjectives one could use to describe the opening and standout track on the Black Hotels debut EP, and it’s like that from the first hook till the final note. Clocking at a few seconds over 3 minutes the song undoubtedly draws influence from the resurgent post-punk revival spearheaded by the Strokes at the start of this millennia.

‘There are four pictures in my room, they’re all of me and none of you,’ is a rather strange lyric to start a song that goes on to sing the praises of Natalie, but maybe that says more about the singer than about the girl.

‘Natalie’ is the best introduction a band could have to anyone first trying them out and they have gone on to produce 2 solid albums (‘Films For The Next Century’ and ‘Honey Badger’) since their first EP, but I keep coming back to this track because it’s just so darn good.

Where to find it:

Beautiful Mornings EP – Black Hotels (2007) Sovereign, SOVCD 029

Video:

Schoolboy – Asylum Kids

The Asylum Kids were one of the leading bands in the late 70’s early 80’s punk movement in South Africa. Led by the enigmatic Robbi Robb (later Tribe After Tribe) they soon captured the attention of Benjy Mudie but their outspoken lyrics and comments from the stage also got the security police interested in them, but not for their musical talents.

‘Schoolboy’ was their first single which was released in 1981. The picture sleeve depicted a bunch of disaffected schoolkids on the kerb, one has a guitar and leather jacket instead of a blazer, while another nonchalantly smokes a cigarette. The image itself would have been enough to raise the ire of the masses of mother grundies that infested the country.

Unlike some punk of the day, the Asylum Kids never took on the thrash, reckless sound. They were more Clash than Sex Pistols. To my mind, this less noisy approach was a sign of intellect in that the lyrics were too important to be lost in sneers and screams. ‘Schoolboy’ was probably the “poppiest” tune that the Kids recorded. It doesn’t have that dark edge that later songs like ‘No, No, No, No’ and ‘Fight It With Your Mind’, but it was an important part of the development of one of the country’s greatest punk bands and is still one of the stand out songs of that era.

Where to find it:

The Complete Asylum Kids – Asylum Kids (2005) Fresh Music, FRESHCD 147

Video:

Ultimate Lucky Dube

After Peter Tosh died, Lucky Dube became the biggest selling living reggae star in the world until his tragic death in 2007. Not bad for someone who didn’t start out as a reggae artist. Dube’s early musical efforts were in the Mbaqaga style and it was only about 3 years after his first release that he switched to reggae. His reggae career didn’t start well with the release, ‘Rasta Never Die’ being a flop, but the follow up, ‘Think About The Children’ went gold.

Released in 1987, ‘Slave’ was one of his most popular songs which, contrary to what one might think about a song called ‘Slave’ during the apartheid years, was actually about alcoholism. The influence of the likes of Peter Tosh can be clearly heard on this track, but there is also the distinctive township keyboard sound that shows its South African roots.

The album of the same name shifted over half a million copies and gained Dube recognition outside South Africa. He is still a huge star in large parts of Africa.

Where to find it:

The Ultimate – Lucky Dube (2010), Gallo, CDLUCKY 16
The Essential South African Trip – Various Artists (2007), African Cream

Lyrics:

Ministers of religion
have visited me many times
to talk about it
They say to me
I gotta leave it I gotta leave it
It’s a bad habit
for a man
But when I try to leave it
my friends keep telling me
I’m a fool amongst fools

Chorus:
Now I’m a slave, a slave
I’m a slave
I’m a liquor slave
I’m a slave, a slave, slave
I’m a slave
Just a liquor slave

I have lost my dignity
I had before trying
to please everybody
Some say to me
yo yo
I look better when I’m drunk
Some say no no no
I look bad you know
Sometimes I cry
I cry but my crying
never helps me none

Chorus:
‘Cos now I am a slave, a slave
I’m a slave
I’m just a liquor slave
I am a slave, a prisoner
I’m a slave
Just a liquor slave

Every night when I’m
coming back home
My wife gets worried
‘cos she knows
Shes got double trouble
coming home
Sometimes I cry
I cry lord I cry
But my crying
never helps me

Chorus: (till fade)

(Written by Lucky Dube)

Video:

Okay, so ‘Gimme Dat Banana’ is a cover version and the Strobe version isn’t too much different from the original by Black Gorilla. Furthermore, Strobe didn’t come up with a new song for the B-side of the single, but simply did a cover of ‘Funky Jungle’ which was the B-side of the Black Gorilla single. Given all this, you may well be asking why this is regarded as a South African song you need to hear. Well, I think that both versions are worthy of a listen, but South Africa embraced Strobe to a greater degree than the UK took to Black Gorilla. Strobe’s version peaked at 12 on the SA charts while Black Gorilla only managed to crawl up to 29 on the UK charts.

Perhaps we were far more at home with the funky jungle drums, strange tribal-esque chanting and screeching bird calls on the record than our European counterparts. Whatever the reason, ‘Gimme Dat Banana’ is a foot-stomping affair that would have had most party goers in 1977 off their seats and bouncing round the dance floor.

I have no information about who Strobe were, but it doesn’t really matter who does the song, as long as it sounds like the original. Hell, I grew up on the version that appeared on Springbok 35 (remember those?) and loved it back then and still love it now that I have obtained both Strobe and Black Gorilla’s versions.

Where to find it:

Second hand singles bins

Video:

Black Gorilla:

Sonja Herholdt - 20 Gewildste Treffers

This is probably not a favourite with the more rock oriented music fans. Nor, I have no doubt, will it be one that kwaito fans have on any of their playlists. But, ‘Ek Verlang Na Jou’ is almost as entrenched in the South African music psyche as songs like ‘The Buccaneer’ and ‘Weeping’.

Love it or hate it, there’s no denying that it is a fine example of pre-Voëlvry Afrikaans music with its innocent lyrics, sugar sweet singing and lightweight, easy listening music. It was never far from a Mother Grundy’s gramophone, as was a lot of Sonja’s material and sailed to number 6 on the Springbok Radio charts in 1975.

Roll the clock on 25 years. Afrikaans music has had a complete make-over and Sonja, her success waning somewhat, did a Kylie Does Indie and tried a completely new sound. Working with Theunis Engelbrecht from Die Naaimasjiene (who covered ‘Ek Verlang Na Jou’ on their Die Saai Lewe album in 1997) and a group called Spiral Staircase, she released an album of harder edged music called ‘Reconstructing Alice’. Included on this album was a reworking of ‘Ek Verlang …’ The music on this version is menacing and dark and Sonja even manages to get some of this feeling into her voice, but it’s still ‘Ek Verlang Na Jou.’ That said, if you really can’t face listening to the original version, try the Reconstructed one. It’s far more palatable to a rock fan, but whichever recording you prefer, the song will remain a well known one in South African music history.

Where to find it:

Sonja – Sonja Herholdt, (1976) CDBRS 417

Afrikana – Tradisionele Afrikaanse Liedjies Volume 6 (2011) Next Music

Lyrics:

Ek verlang na jou.
Na die winde wat sy arms om my vou.
So verlang ek as die son en die maan en die wind en die wolke oor my gaan
Verlang jy ook na my?
Daar waar jy nou in die verrelande bly.
En verlang jy as die son en die maan en die wind en die wolke oor jou gaan?
Oh!, ek verlang na jou.
Na die winde wat sy arms om my vou.
So verlang ek as die son en die maan en die wind en die wolke oor my gaan.
Verlang jy ook na my?
Daar waar jy nou in die verrelande bly.
En verlang jy as die son en die maan en die wind en die wolke oor jou gaan?
Waai … wind.
Bring … hom terug na my.

Waai … wind.
Bring … hom terug na my.
Oh!, ek verlang na jou.
Ek verlang omdat ek baie van jou hou.
Ek verlang so as die son en die maan en die wind en die wolke oor my gaan.
Verlang jy ook na my?
Daar waar jy nou in die verrelande bly.
En verlang jy as die son en die maan en die wind en die wolke oor jou gaan?
Waai … wind.
Bring … hom terug na my.

Waai … wind.
Bring … hom terug na my.

(Written by: J de Wet / Hamman)

Video:

Tom Hark - Elias & His Zig Zag Jive Flutes (image from 78RPM Collectors' Community)

Perhaps the most famous kwela song to emanate from South Africa, ‘Tom Hark’ is a bouncy, joyous, pennywhistle driven tune that peaked at Number 2 in the UK charts on 24 May 1958 and stayed there for 4 weeks, being kept off the top spot by Connie Francis’ ‘Who’s Sorry Now’.

The leader of the band wasn’t Elias, it was Aaron “Big Voice” Jack Lerole a leading kwela artists of the time. The word ‘kwela’ comes from the Zulu and means get up. ‘Kwela-kwela’ was township slang for a police van and when you listen to ‘Tom Hark’ before the music starts, you hear someone saying, ‘hier kom die kwela-kwela’ and some think that this was how kwela music got its name.

Such was the appeal of this simple ditty that it has been covered by various artists including Ted Heath, Georgie Fame and The Piranhas in the UK and even gained popularity in the West Indies where Millie Small (of My Boy Lollipop fame) recorded a version with lyrics and a group called the Dynamites had a version that went under the titles of ‘John Public’. In South Africa it’s been covered by Mango Groove (in 2000) and The Zig Zags (in 2010, as Footie Footie). It is also a popular tune for football chants in England.

‘Tom Hark’ does seem to live in the shadow of Solomon Linda’s ‘Mbube’ which was used in the myriad of versions of ‘The Lion Sleeps Tonight’, but it is an instantly recognisable tune which has been as accepted by the world as ‘Mbube’ was.

Where to find it:

Cafe Africa – Various Artists,  (2010) Not Now Records, NOT2CD376

Video:

Elias & His Zig Zag Jive Flutes:

The Piranhas:

Millie Small:

Georgie Fame:

South African Indie Volume One

Afrikaans music has gone from strength to strength following the Voelvry movement where Koos Kombuis, Johannes Kerkorrel and James Phillips in particular set it free from having to sound like Sonja Herholdt. It seems only natural that we would eventually see the rise of Afrikaans rap and in Zander Tyler, better known as Jack Parow, we have one of the leading lights of the scene.

Known for his trademark baseball cap with the extended peak (I won’t make any comments about this making up for deficiencies elsewhere – Parow may just donner me), he’s worked with Die Antwoord, Die Heuwels Fantasties, Bittereinde, Die Radio Kalahari Orkes and Fokofpolisiekar, but with his eponymous debut album, he has begun to forge a reputation as a solo artist.

‘Cooler as Ekke’ is a very funny rap and has a funky guitar rhythm. Despite Parow’s whiney voice making him sound like he’s almost about to break into tears it works as the perfect foil to the deliberately cringeworthy lyrics, with lines like ‘Ek drink Klipdrif, jy drink Peroni, Jy’t vriende in Swede, ek het vriende in Benoni’ and ‘Jy’s die ou met die new fresh look
Ek’s die ou met die Pep Stores broek.’ It works in the same way the British comedy Show The Office did with Ricky Gervais’ character being so embarrassing that it’s funny, a comic technique that’s not easy to achieve.

Of course I could have got it all wrong and he is genuinely a whiney, whingeing lowlife who really does think that it’s equally cool to be a Bic pen as being a Monte Blanc, which could lead to lyrics like, ‘Ek maak sin, jy’s net crazy, Jy’s Parow, Ek is Jay-Z.’ But somehow I think that Zander Tyler is sharper than his lyrics make him out to be.

Where to find it:

Jack Parow – Jack Parow (2010)

Lyrics:

Jy dink jy’s cooler as ekke, want jy rook Yves Saint Laurent sigarette
Jy dink jy’s cooler as ekke, want jy’t ‘n tattoo van ‘n slang op jou tette.
Jy dink jy’s cooler as ek, want jy’t ‘n plakkaat van Led Zeppelin bo jou bed
Jy dink jy’s cooler as ek, want jy’s elke jaar by die J&B Met.

Jy’s ou nuus, ek kom met rou beats
Jy lê en wag, ek gan soek iets
Jy’s ice tea, ek’s witblits
Jy’s lite bier, ek’s spirits
Jy’s die ou met die new fresh look
Ek’s die ou met die Pep Stores broek
Ek watch jou, jy koekeloer oukes
jy forward nog Vernon Koekemoer jokes
Ek’s fantasties, jy’s spasties
Ek vat an poppies, jy raak an klein kids
Jy’s Tim Voster, ek’s Chris Edwards
Jy’s innie bosse, ek rol innie vet shit
Jy’s boring soos liedjies ommie kampvuur
my styl slick sneak suutjies soos ‘n vampire
jou styl kak sag soos ‘n pink marshmallow
meisies skree vir net “one night in parow”

Jy dink jy’s cooler as ekke, want jy hang saam met models en ek hang saam met slette
Jy dink jy’s cooler as ekke, want ek’s ‘n rapper en jy sing in falsetto
Jy dink jy’s cooler as ek, want ek ry op met die bus en jy vlieg op met ‘n jet
Jy dink jy’s cooler as ek, want jy ry in ‘n Peugeot twee nul ses

Jy rol met ‘n selfoon in jou pen
Ek rol nog met ‘n 3310
My styl gooi sexy korrek
Jy dra nog fokken Mr Price Red
As ek instap skrikkie hele fokken bar
Jy kry nog fokken geld by jou ma
Ek los die hele jol papnat
As jy instap begin die hele jollie pad vat
ek’s Amerika, jys Irak
ek bomb jou lat die kak slap spat
Ek’s ‘n Bic pen, jy’s ‘n Mont Blanc
Jy loop rond met fokken skuim op jou mond-rand
Ek’s original jy’s gecopy
Ek’s ‘n flash drive jy’s ‘n floppy
Jy maak of jy alles het ma jy’s fake
Jack Parow bra ek lewe soos n straatmeit

Jy dink jy’s cooler as ekke, want jy drink by Ku De Ta en ek drink by De Dekke
Jy dink jy’s cooler as ekke, want jy’s die gentleman, bra eksie prette
Jy dink jy’s cooler as ek, want ek hou vakansie in Hartenbos en jy hou vakansie in Quebec.
Jy dink jy’s cooler as ek, omdat jy die nuwe issue van One Small Seed het

Jack Parow bra ek’s n poes woes
Jy eet caviar en couscous
Ek drink Klipdrif, jy drink Peroni
Jy’t vriende in Swede, ek het vriende in Benoni
Ek koop al my klere by die local Pep Stores save more
Jy dra net fokken Polo shirts
Shame, jy luister na die Dirty Skirts
My naam’s Parow, dik heavy uitgeskollie
Jy lyk soos Jeremy de Tollie
Jack Parow, die life van die party
Jy dra net fokken Issey Miyake
Jy’s too cool for school, eks mos kief
Ek’s grasshopper, jys Lacoste sportief
Jy lat die koek flop, ek lat die huis rys
Jou meisie het ‘n foto van my piel op haar Space Case

Video:

Just Another Band - Off The Edge

Off The Edge has gone through a number of line up changes but was originally formed out of the ashes of heavy metal band Boss by Paul Hanmer and Tony Groenewald who had remained the two constants in the band. Paul and Tony recruited Judy Marshall-Shutte for the vocals on the album ‘Just Another Band’ and ‘Cheating’ was one of the tracks that appeared on the album.

‘Cheating’ is a solid slice of AOR rock. It has all the necessary ingredients – a prominent drum beat, hard edged guitar licks from the start and a strong vocal. As the title suggests it a song about betrayal with Judy singing, ‘You’ve been cheating, telling those lies, you’ve been cheating by the look in your eyes.’ But it’s not just a woman sitting back and taking it, she’s moving on, leaving the cheating man.

There are hints of Heart (you know, the Wilson sisters) and lots of heart (you know, gusto, that sort of stuff) which contribute to making it a great SAOR track (SAOR = South African Oriented Rock)

Listen:

Download:

Cheating

Where to find it:

Just Another Band – Off The Edge (2000), OTE2000